94 comments:

I think there is a new rollout on the website this morning, I'm honestly not sure if these items are new or just shuffled from the last time I looked. I actually find the web site a bit depressing and stark to browse. Who is literally minding the store these days, I can't believe we have gone from Marissa Webb to this within 10 years.

Hi TeriLynn13 - yes, there is a new rollout (truly new items have a lightning bolt next to them, and there's now a "demi fine" jewelry collection?) but honestly, it's kind of hard to tell. I think that the lack of a real catalog is going to hurt them more than they realize.

4 days of promos....I really dislike when they do this. I think for the first time ever I will look next week...maybe.this is my way of sending a message to who ever is in charge....stop this nonsense. we are busy people!

Hopefully promos get better. I also thought there would be more stuff besides early access email, but not much. Was hoping to see some holiday items. Stopped in my store @ Northpark last night and they already had new arrivals out with 30% off purchase promo. Purchase striped sweater dress in camel/black. I really like the riibbed texture and mock neck. I'm concerned about the acrylic blend; going to give it a try since I had a 20% off coupon to stack so it was $55. Also bought tres chic tee.

There is a new roll out and it is a bit depressing as you mentioned. There is however a new jewelry line that has been introduced which certainly looks nicer than the previous/current selection they have been selling. Tired of the cheap plastic stuff. Some are a little pricey however. Sales markdowns are absolutely ridiculous,(i.e. none )which I am normally accustomed to. Items as one poster previously mentioned are more expensive than previously on final sale ever. Where are the beautiful colors Jcrew has always been known for?? Especially in cashmere? Getting tired of the new Jcrew pricing emotional warfare game.

Boring. Sale now has over 1700 items. Some new releases are cute, but just as some people want color, some people want black...I'm not sure why they make an item in five colors but not black. And if you didn't get enough tulle ball gowns in mint and navy, they're back, but no black. (Not that I would spend $200 on it but why not do a black one?)

The sale section seems to be loading a little bit later today than normal. I grabbed the blossom bauble bracelet for $13.99 which I thought was a great price even without that any extra percent off. Item number H0223.

Also sad to see no new shoes with the rollout...very disappointing. And no extra 20% off sale - why?? I have a pile of returns at home, I will still stop by the store tomorrow to see everything in person.

additionally, the 20% is advertised if you look at the sale items in their respective product categories of the website vs. the sale section - but in the sale section no mention of 20% ...get it together, J.Crew

I hate when the new roll outs include other items from recent roll outs. Is it too much to ask that when JC says new I want to see new? Also, i'm just shaking my head with each roll out. They're missing an opportunity to make money. Why the crop pants? It was 50 degrees in Atlanta this morning, I'm wearing tights! And I'll never understand in an October roll out the abundance (or just existence) of swimwear. Please give me double serge skirts in colors, suiting dresses with a sleeve, and pretty tops that I can wear to work. In return I'll gladly max out my cold, unused JC credit card and pay it off before the awful apr kicks in. Agree with the comment about the jewelry, some of the new things look decent (but I hate the Cara Delvigne inspired lion ring.....Kendra Scott is also doing that).

I suppose some folks go on vacation and need swim but there seems to be a lot. It was a bit nippy in Atlanta today but gorgeous! I like the cardigan with the feathers (I do like a bit of wacky stuff) in collections but that is about it. There was a pink pajama top that was shown at fashion week for spring 2017. It's pink with navy trim. It is still SO costly and the two reviews are terrible. About 8 years ago I wanted almost everything they had, and they never had sales because they didn't have to. This is a really sad place for JC. My guess is that the vibe in the corporate office is not great.

Today feels like the perfect Fall day finally - the sky is so blue and the air is just crisp enough to put on tights and long sleeves! Yeah I agree - I bet nobody working at JC is happy right now. they've got to be stressed.

I agree, I was looking forward to seeing some classic fall items, and for me everything new was a combination of boring and unwearable. I don't want huge sleeves, huge sweatshirts or huge coats from jcrew. this is not jcrew's wheelhouse. I want classic beautiful items that wear well over time. Like a merino sweater in a dark wine color that doesn't pill. A 3/4 sleeve option and a long sleeve option. A dark charcoal wool work dress with long sleeves a boatneck and fully lined. Really buttery, well made corduroys in fall colors. It is not hard. I wish they would stop trying to be so 'interesting.' They're not acne.

Hi HollDoll129 - the dream fabric was wool/nylon/cashmere. This one is probably just as junky. The reviews of the wool/acrylic/nylon sweaters (like H0739 and H1127) mention pilling. This one caught my eye, too (I love wearing anything blanket-like) but don't want to deal with the blend for the price. I'l post if I see anything similar!

Ha! Yeah, when I saw "convertible" it took me a while to figure that they were saying you could convert it from a cape to a poncho...that's like saying I have convertible pants because I can roll the cuffs up and make shorter pants. ;)

just took at look at the new rollout. What can I say? I didn't see ONE thing I'm interested in. I thought the sweater dress looked interesting only to find a big opening in the back tied with a bow. Just silly. A lot of weird designs, strange things attached onto other strange things,. I just can't believe how bad it all looks. Not even a piece of jewelry! The new jewelry looks like it's made for little girls. Well...I guess I'm saving money, but it's very disheartening. I don't think the J. Crew I loved is every coming back.

I agree completely Stray Cat. I'm so disappointed in the current offerings and I keep hoping for a return to old school jcrew, both quality and design. Why the frills and ties and ruffles? I wish jcrew would read here and actually listen to what loyal customers want.

I agree. Sadly. The fall rollout was always my favorite, and I usually wanted way more than I could afford. I agree about the weird designs. Maybe they lost sight of WHO they are designing the clothes for..teenagers maybe? Are they trying to be artsy? In real life, I would not wear most of this.

Gosh....I'm not alone! Why doesn't the Crew listen to us? Anyway, I always look forward to the new excursion vests (which I have many), the coats, jackets (again....many) in fall....where are they? I have reported here before that Target has several lines for both men and women that look just like the Crew offerings for less money. Maybe that's part of the problem. I don't know....I just don't like the clothes at so many retailers now...not just the Crew. Sadly I keep hoping they will bring back classic clothes with a twist, but I think they are circling the drain. And another thing, if they send me one more email that says "look what you left in your cart" when I have NOTHING in my cart, I'm sending a not so nice email to them!

This rollout is just so awful and for the first time I am wondering how long JCrew is going to survive as a brand. The clothes are either redundant or awkward and the one thing I was interested in -- a fair isle sweater that’s under a coat in the new style guide -- isn’t even included today.

JCrew website won't let me to check out :( with error: '"BUYERSESSION.BUYERPREFERENCES.SHIPPINGMETHODID" IS REQUIRED' There are no shipping method to select since I'm ordering to Canada and it can only ship by Borderfree.

Found the offending item in my cart, KIDS' SOREL® FOR CREWCUTS CHEYANNE II LACE-UP BOOTS :) Once I removed those it let me to proceed to checkout. Now I'm trying to buy these by themselves and see the same error again.

Received the Embroidered Floral Miniskirt yesterday (my last purchase of the Great % off Era), and really like it. The embroidery is beautiful, and takes it from being an ordinary patterned skirt into something special. Fit is TTS, though smallish in the waist (it’s equally possible that I’m just biggish in the waist). I bought the 12T and like the length, about 2 inches above my knees on my 5’9” frame. It’s current sale price is a good deal, only $1 more than I paid last week.

Maybe they just forgot to put the new shoes and handbags out for viewing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that's what happened because the signet flap bags in the 4 fall colors JUST CAN'T BE ALL THERE IS (real sad face)

You tout the following perks for cardholders on your website: $25 Rewards Card for every $500 you spend** Cardmembers-only invitations to private events Early access to select items A special birthday surprise***

I’ll give you the first and last ones, but you are not living up to the middle two. Not all cardholders are receiving the early access emails (or the accompanying offer), and I’ve yet to be invited to a cardmember-only event. I know you have your hands full, but Madewell’s (no card required) loyalty perks are so much better it’s ridiculous.

Pretty boring rollout IMO, but I'm interested in the lodge coat. I don't have any clue what size I would order though, and the JCrew store near me doesn't carry petite sizes. I wish they could just be consistent with sizing...

So sad, there is nothing I want in this rollout. I've been a loyal customer since I got my first J Crew fair isle sweater in 6th grade...20 years later and I wonder how much longer they can go on like this. Like many have said, where are the work appropriate dresses, skirts and sweaters? Why do all the shirts have huge bell sleeves or ruffle sleeves or missing shoulders? How are you supposed to wear a coat over these ridiculous sleeve embellishments?!

And this new sale policy is absolutely foolish. Did they not learn anything from JC Penny when they tried this several years ago? I guarantee it will not last through the end of the year.

Final rant I wanted the stretch perfect shirt body suit but it had been on backorder so I held off ordering. Now it appears back in stock, but I think the price went up $10.. did anyone else remember it being $68 instead of $78? Are they charging extra for in-stock items now?

On the bright side I guess I don't need to wake up early and stalk the sale section like I used to. I thought I was the only person who loved Jcrew so much I would get up at 6 am on weekends to find a coveted pop-back, until I found this site and all the wonderful JCA's. I appreciate everyone's reviews and honest opinions. If only Jcrew corporate would listen before its too late... sigh.

I got one of those yesterday but thought that I had missed the conversation. It would have been nice if there was one for purses and shoes (clearly I was hoping for some other than the signet bags and some really nice shoes in this roll out). Did I miss that one? Come on JC, I'm still holding out for you to do "good"!

Same!I said "What is this, a pamphlet?!?!" and threw it in disgust. My boyfriend picked it up and said "Did you just toss that without looking at it??" He has already been moderately worried, as my birthday and Christmas are coming up and it doesn't appear the Crew will work...

With this roll out I think I can officially say that my 20+ year love affair with J.Crew is over. O.V.E.R. I used to spend thousands at J.Crew every year, but now Vince, Everlane, Cuyana, and a few others are getting my $$$. It makes me sad when I look at my collection of Schoolboy blazers (about 12 in different fabrics and colours) and other beautiful items from the past knowing that they will soon be relics from a different time. RIP J.Crew. It was good while it lasted.

Sinead, I'm beginning to agree with you and quite saddened by the downhill spiral of J.Crew. Gone are the days of exceptional quality, classical designs that stood apart from all the other retailers and fair pricing and discounts. I feel so bad for all the poor VPS's and customer service people there, they have to be so stressed out bearing the brunt of complaints. I happened to see Cuyana up above on your post and my curiosity took me to their website. I was not familiar with this company. What lovely items they present. Have you been pleased with the quality and their customer service? How is their sizing in comparison to J.Crew's. Would love to hear your feedback as I am anxious to order an item or two from them. Thanks in advance.

Not Sinead, but I've ordered a few items from Cuyana and have been very pleased. Not inexpensive, but IMO the quality of their pieces justifies the price. Cuyana runs small compared to JC -- I'm usually a 00 or xxs at the Crew, and a small at Cuyana is a rather close fit on me. Their CS is very responsive if you ask for garment measurements. HTH!

Agree with Cobalt. Quality is worth the price and sizing definitely runs smaller. And I love their commitment to small roll outs - the whole quality over quantity thing. It's not fancy and they don't do prints, but that's ok with me! Report back if you do get anything!!

Thanks so much to you both,appreciate the info. There are a couple of new sweaters that look stunning. I like their white sweater with a geometric cut in the back. Classic with a bit of European flair at least with the white sweater. Will certainly report back. Again many thanks

I'm not sure if this has been posted in another thread, but I've just read an obituary of the founder of J. Crew, Arthur Cinader. He passed away on October 11th at the age of 90. Reading about the start of the company and his vision is really interesting:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/obituaries/arthur-cinader-who-started-j-crew-avatar-of-preppy-style-dies-at-90.html?hpw&rref=obituaries&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0

What a wonderful walk down memory lane. I remember learning in high school that there’s no J. Crew the person but the teacher didn’t say that the founder was an alumni of the very school where I was learning about his company! I wish JC still abided by this mantra of “For Kennebunk to Nantucket, Narragansett Bay to Amagansett, and points South and West, here’s a J. Crew vision of sober but resonant color, rugged, sensuous fabric, and dedication to meaningful detail.” To me, that’s preppy classics in quality materials with beautiful quirky details like contrast linings and ribbon trim, and just a little style twist to make it special. I certainly recall being high school age and going to the South Street Seaport store to try on the clothes from the catalog so I could touch the fabrics. Then I’d go home and place an order by mail because the store never had my size. How I long for my cotton roll neck sweater and flannel lined khakis now!!

VPS I spoke with today explained there will be many more items to come for their next rollout beginning of Nov. however she didn’t elaborate nor have any additional details. We’ll see soon enough, though I’m a little skeptical due to what’s been rolled out as of late.

I'm trying to figure out who actually LIKES the direction and offerings of J Crew these days. Who actually wants disposable-quality, fast-fashion stuff you can't wear to work or even trust to the Delicates cycle, churned out at a F21 pace?

Marketing now is all about "personas," creating a detailed narrative about who your customer is and how he/she lives. Who IS this person J Crew is targeting?

I have officially crossed over to a weird point at which I feel connected to JCA, but not J Crew.

Hi ruffles (and Melodie and through-these-eyes below, great posts!) - I think bloggers/influencers is on the right track, and anybody that doesn't need to wear an item more than once. I'm baffled by the reviews on the site where the majority say it has pilled/shrunk/split seams but the one review says it's great quality and they don't know what everybody else's problem is... but then I think that maybe that person didn't wear it more than once or wash it. Put it on, take a picture, post it on Instagram and put comfies back on - not the best way to test quality of a garment. (As an aside, I love seeing what the #jcasofinstagram post - mixes of old school Crew, new stuff, other retailers..so fun!)

I think that JC has been struggling with balance for a really long time. I wish that they could've found it by keeping their basics/classics intact while rotating in more trendy items, and they were able to do this for a while. Unfortunately, they cannibalized the quality of Jackie, Minnie, Pixie, their coats, their shoes, their bags (Borge Garveri, anyone? Yes, they went out of business but JC would've probably dropped them to cut costs) to offer lower quality across the board. Thing is, if they're not going to go all the way into fast fashion (low prices, constant rollouts, etc) then they can't really compete with Zara, H&M, F21, etc. I feel bad for retailers that are struggling with this because it seems so many of them are - but there is a whole market of women that need work appropriate, decent quality clothing (with disposable income!) that they're just ignoring.

What's so frustrating about this is that JC still releases that one piece here and there that's reminiscent of OSC (old school 'Crew) and it sells out, or it's so popular they exclude it from all promos (I'm thinking items like the open-front sweater blazer, and the long-sleeved striped dresses from last winter and this summer) while doubling down on items that nobody seems to want (see 70% off sale section). They've got a website full of reviews, probably tons of data on the sales of their items, and almost 10 years of free focus group data from this blog and they insist on ignoring it all and running into a wall at 150 mph.

I don't actually know how LL Bean or Lands End or Talbots are doing financially, but they have stayed in business for a long time and their quality seems like it hasn't changed. Maybe J. Crew can look there as a model? I've always seen J. Crew as a more stylish alternative to those, until they moved away from offering their solid staples and went overboard with very trendy and/or poorly made things.

One thing about LL Bean and Lands End is that I don't think (?) they ever went overboard with storefronts/expansions. Lands End seems to exist only in Sears stores or online. LL Bean has some stores but not a lot. Expansion with stores doesn't seem to be their thing. Talbots has had stores for ages - why haven't they gone under yet? These companies seem comfortable with their niches. J. Crew had a niche but doesn't seem to any more. I sincerely hope J. Crew figures it out. Whatever they do, they're going to lose customers, so they should just figure out which customer base is going to keep them in business and go that direction. They must think this fast-ish fashion is their bread and butter now, but I'm not so sure about that.

Interesting comparison however I do think the quality has gone down at both Talbots and Lands End and to a lesser extent LLBean. I've tried to embrace both Talbots and LE but usually when I see things in person or try them on I'm usually disappointed. The cuts/tailoring are usually just a little too frumpy and bad polyester/rayon mixes seem to be the new norm there as well. I actually have picked up a couple of sweaters at LLBean this fall...we will see how they hold up. I am kind of burnt out on the long flowy open cardi look and I wanted a couple of old school preppy sweaters to wear with jeans. A few years ago everything I bought was either from JCrew or Anthro...and now I find myself shopping at a number of different retailors (in some cases not places where I would typically shop) and making them work. Overall I'm buying less but I'm more thoughtful and trying to buy versatile quality pieces that better suit me and my lifestyle.

I agree JCrew needs to figure out and figure it out quick...I just don't think they can compete at the fast fashion level...price is too high and turn-around is too long. If I were In charge I would scale back on product mix and categories....I mean way back...and focus on quality.

I see the same quality drop at Talbots & Lands End. Plus, both of those brands do not fit me well at all. I had some luck with Lands End Canvas years back but the regular line doesn't work for me. I do enjoy looking at the catalogs, though. Talbots especially has put out some good looking things for fall that remind me of old J Crew.

Thanks for the info about LE and Talbots. I have not shopped there for a few years, for the reasons you guys mentioned, and didn't know their quality had declined. The fit is always a bit dowdy on me at those stores. But I still think it's interesting that their quality has declined but they still seem to be going strong as companies. J. Crew hasn't pulled that off.

I think that retailers are done, seriously. I was on Instagram and a blogger that I follow posted a link to a cardigan for $11! There is no way to compete with that. JCrew doesn't focus in quality, just competing with fast fashion. (And they are not alone). I don't want to say it's a generational thing, but my millennial co workers dont believe that paying a lot of money for clothes is an option. Discussions here and on other boards (fabric, cut, timelessness) just aren't considerations. Experiences, be it trips, dining and events are more important to the demographic. Influencers have taken over! I've seen the same cheap, poorly made dresses from Nordstrom on a zillion Instagram pages the past 2 weeks. I don't think that J Crew is alone in the downward spiral. Sadly, in 5 years I shudder to think of what will be left. With all of the emphasis on Personas, the non Millennials who like quality clothing are not even a factor to marketers IMO. I don't like singling out a group, but they dominate market research trends and actions (like breakfast being offered all day at fast foods, no cell phone contracts, etc)

As a millenial, I can firmly say that I prefer quality over quantity. Yes, fast fashion is cheap. But when you end of with 40 pieces that have holes after only wearing each item twice, eventually you learn that it’s better to have 4 quality made no. 2 pencil skirts that 12 cheaply made, trendy skirts in cuts and colours you can’t really wear the following year because they are poorly made. I would rather spend $500 on a good coat than $150 on something that will need replacing. I went to J Crew today and there was absolutely nothing I wanted or needed. I won’t mention the OTS (okay, I did) or the new set of Navy tulle skirts, but if the brand wants to survive it needs to start doing market research and consultations with its true customer base. There were no pencil skirts in beautiful fall colours (burgundy/port, navy) and a warm weather weight. No simple, yet quality sweaters (there is only so many Navy tippis one can own) and no corduroys in beautiful fall/winter weather colours that I wanted to purchase. None of the 4 items shown at Fall fashion week were in this roll out. There was a beautiful leopard print clutch that I can’t wait to purchase, but at this rate, I would rather shop my closet than some of the item J Crew is currently launching in stores.

Fellow (*oldish) millennial and I totally agree. F21, H&M and Zara were ok in my undergrad days but I spend most of my waking hours at work and need decent, well tailored, well made professional and business casual attire, like many on JCA have pleaded for. I love clothes and fashion and have disposable income to spend on it but don't need or want to chase every trend -- there is a huge void in mid-level retail for these items and customers.

Stopped by the store today to look at the new arrivals. So disappointed to see the new Harlow cardigans are now 50% acrylic/50% merino. Sorry J Crew, not for those prices. I can get an acrylic blend sweater that is going to pill almost immediately at Old Navy or Target for a quarter of the price.

Oh yuck - the crappy sweaters are probably going to be the nail in their coffin. One would think they'd learn their lesson after claiming that another sweater (Tilly) was the cause of a lot of their troubles.

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